


The Master's Wager

by Tressimir



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Established Relationship, Gambling, Hypnotism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 01:46:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5356313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tressimir/pseuds/Tressimir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While investigating a missing person case, Naoto runs afoul of a tricky gambler. But the luck of the draw does tend to work in mysterious ways...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Ashiya-san.” Naoto settled into the chair her host offered, taking in the rather luxurious room they were occupying. She’d heard stories of the Ashiya family’s tremendous wealth, but the opulence of their estate bordered on ridiculous.

After seating himself across the table from the detective, Kagetsune Ashiya tented his fingers and regarded her with a somewhat amused expression, asking, “I assume this is related to the Hinamoto case? That girl’s disappearance?”

Naoto nodded. “You assume correctly. Reiko Hinamoto was last seen in your presence. This is why I’ve come to question you.” There was something about the glint in the young Ashiya patriarch’s eyes that she didn’t entirely trust, something that forced her to consciously keep her hand from straying to her revolver.

“So that girl hired you to investigate… Heh, how very interesting.” His voice was quiet, but still loud enough for the Detective Princess to hear. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told her; I haven’t seen Rei-chan since our last meeting. I’m as curious about her whereabouts as you and your client are, if not more so, and I’d intended to hire you before I heard your services were taken. To be so young yet already taking cases of such magnitude… I have endless sympathy for the loss that brought you to this.”

Gritting her teeth at the memory of her grandfather’s recent passing, the young woman allowed an edge of impatience to creep into her voice as she stated, “You’re hiding something from me, Ashiya-san. I would like to hear the truth.”

Kagetsune’s smile was enough to very briefly send chills down her spine. “You’re very suspicious of me, Shirogane-san. I’ve told you all I know. But…” Behind his glasses, his emerald eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “I’m quite intrigued by your thought processes. Why don’t we play a little game and make this interesting?”

“A game? This is a serious matter, Ashiya-san, and I would appreciate you respecting it.” The temptation to draw her gun on this infuriating man was growing stronger, but Naoto forced herself to ignore it. He was baiting her, surely, testing her composure.

The flame-haired young man nodded in response and waved one hand airily. “I’m aware of the gravity of the situation, but if you think I’m hiding something, this will be an easy way to get me to reveal it. This is a private investigation, not sanctioned by the police – meaning that you have no connections to rely on. So this is really your only choice, hmm?” That infuriating smile again. Naoto had had enough.

“Very well. What’s your game of choice?” Her voice was as hard as Kagetsune’s was flippant, her hands balling into fists beneath the table in frustration.

The answer didn’t come immediately, as Kagetsune instead opted to use a handheld speaker to access the estate’s intercom and order, “Junbei, bring tiles and drinks to the gaming room – and make sure something non-alcoholic comes, as Shirogane-san isn’t of age yet.” Looking back to Naoto with a catlike grin, he answered, “Mahjong. You do know how to play, don’t you?”

Naoto only nodded, then waited in silence as the Ashiya family’s butler brought the tiles and drinks as ordered. Of course her opponent would choose such a game; Kagetsune was known for his gambling, and especially his almost uncanny luck. Despite the best efforts of many casinos, he had never been caught cheating either. Still, Naoto was certain she could beat him – mahjong was a game of chance, yes, but there was an element of skill to it that less experienced players overlooked. If Kagetsune expected her to play in such a manner, he would be disappointed.

Once the butler had delivered the tiles and drinks, they began their competition. Naoto played cautiously at first, feeling out Kagetsune’s strategy, and her frustration began to mount with exceptional speed. He seemed not to even be paying attention, focused more on his sake than the game, and yet he was leading in points and leaving Naoto struggling to merely break even. As the hands came and went, she noticed Kagetsune’s eyes straying more to her face than the titles, his gaze giving the impression of appraising her. She hadn’t felt this angry since the Midnight Stage case.

A sudden realization ran through her mind as she looked at her tiles. There was a chance for a fantastic hand here – one that would catapult her score past Kagetsune’s for the victory. She drew the last tile, and…

“Oh dear. Looks like I win, Shirogane-san.” The smirk on the gambler’s face was insufferable, especially when Naoto rechecked her hand and found, to her dismay, that she’d somehow completely misread it. How could that have happened? “Well, I suppose luck simply favored me today. I suppose this means I’ll be seeing quite a lot of you for quite some time.”

“What do you mean?” Naoto asked, her voice trembling slightly. She’d been concentrating on nothing but the game, so she couldn’t recall, but… what did she bet?

Kagetsune’s laughter was clear but cold, like a bell rimed with frost. “Focusing too much on the tiles and not enough on your words, my dear? Your wager, of course. I bet all the knowledge you wished from me; your ante was your service. Which means I have a lovely new maid around the estate. Such fortune, I might almost call it divine favor.”

His words hit the detective like a brick to the forehead. She’d been paying so little attention that she’d bet herself on the game – and lost. It was so hard to believe, but her memory was fuzzy and Kagetsune had shown no tells to draw suspicion on his words.

Naoto had made her bet. Now she had to honor it.


	2. Counterpoint

It had been a month since Naoto had tearfully informed him that she couldn’t see him again, and Yu had officially come to the conclusion that something was wrong. She wouldn’t simply break off their relationship without giving a reason, not after everything they’d been through together, and something in her voice had clued him in that her hand was being forced. Taking these facts into account, he went to meet with the only person he could think of who would know her whereabouts.

“You have an appointment?” The bouncer at the club’s private room growled, arms crossed impassively.

Yu narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “No, but this is important. I need to talk with Higashikuni-san.”

“If you want to meet with Higashikuni-san, you’ll need to make an appointment. She’s a very busy woman.” Muscles rippled beneath the bouncer’s suit as he tensed up, having plenty of experience with pushy individuals who wanted a spur-of-the-moment audience with his employer.

Before things could go beyond the point of tension, the door behind the bouncer opened and a feminine voice sighed, “Let him in, I know who he is.” The bouncer stepped out of the way to reveal a woman looking only a few years older than Yu himself, with long hair dyed strawberry blonde and dressed all in white. “Come on in, Narukami-san.”

Once they were both seated in the plush chairs of the club’s back room, Yu asked, “You’re Higashikuni-san, then?”

“Setsuna Higashikuni, yes. And you’re Yu Narukami, if I recall. Yes, I’m aware we’ve never met; I know about you from Shirogane-san.” Her lips curved into a sly smile as she continued, “And I can see why she’s so into you. You cut quite the masculine figure, Narukami-san.”

Yu blinked in surprise, then asked, “Are you flirting with me, Higashikuni-san?” That was unexpected, and not exactly welcome. He had intended to speak with her about Naoto, after all.

Setsuna laughed cheerfully and smiled more genuinely. “No, no, not at all. You’re a fine-looking man, but you’re still a man. I’ll leave you to Shirogane-san. I assume your visit is about her?”

“How did you know that?” Yu felt slightly more at ease once he realized she wasn’t, in fact, intending to try and steal him from Naoto.

“Because I hired her, as you must know, and if you heard about her sudden departure you’d naturally seek me out.” She idly sipped at her drink and continued, “I do know what’s happened to her, and I’m quite irritated myself. I hired her to look into my dear Reiko’s disappearance only to have an enemy throw a spanner in the works.”

Yu met Setsuna’s eyes and said in a deadly serious tone, “Tell me everything, please. I’ll do anything to get Naoto back.”

Nodding approvingly, Setsuna began to slowly relate the story. “One of the leads I gave Shirogane-san was to check out an old rival of mine, Kagetsune Ashiya, who’d been seen with Reiko. He contacted me roughly a month ago – apparently he and Shirogane-san had played a game of mahjong for his knowledge, which he claims to have none. In return, she bet her service for some indeterminate amount of time, and Kagetsune won.” Her lip curled with distaste as she remarked, “I know Kagetsune, at least enough to know he doesn’t play fair. He’s a hedonist, and a gambler in particular, but he doesn’t cheat by counting cards or hiding tiles up his sleeves. No, his method is more subtle than that; he does use sleight of hand, but his movements induce a hypnagogic state in anyone who views them for long. He influences his victims’ minds and tricks them into throwing games while betting more than they can afford to lose, just like this case. Those who fall victim to his tricks can’t properly recall what happened, so they don’t realize they’ve been hypnotized.”

“If this hypnotism interferes with the victims’ memory, how do you know that’s how it works?” Yu asked, intrigued by the story. If he was anyone else, he’d likely have thought it ridiculous, but his life experience had included such events as the Midnight Channel and Midnight Stage cases, along with the Minazuki incident. This seemed almost plausible in comparison.

A small smile returned to Setsuna’s face at the question. “Because I, like Shirogane-san and yourself, work just a little differently than most people. The Higashikuni family has a history of psychic manifestations, including a ‘mental palace’ that sequesters mental influences. I saw Kagetsune play once and determined how his tricks work, and while I’m not quite as good, I can teach you how to become resistant enough to not lose yourself to his hypnotism. He’ll challenge you to a game like he did Shirogane-san, intending to cheat the same way he always has, but now I know his MO. Now I can help.”

Yu digested the explanation, then nodded strongly. “Teach me, please. I’ll pay whatever I have to, but I will get Naoto back and knock Ashiya-san down a peg or five.”

Setsuna’s smile widened in satisfaction, folding her hands on the table. “Taking down Kagetsune is payment enough. Now, let’s discuss the basics of what you’ll need to do…”


	3. Finale

“Beautiful as always, my Nao-chan.” Kagetsune smiled coolly up at the younger girl as she made her way over to him. “You truly are a vision of loveliness.”

Naoto tried very hard to ignore his words, but that was difficult when her clothing reminded her that he was always admiring her. She wore a Western maid’s uniform not unlike the one she’d dressed up in for Yu before, with the addition of white lace gloves and knee-high boots with heels higher than she’d have preferred. Worst, though, was the collar; Kagetsune had insisted on it with the same flippant indifference he showed toward everything, and his condescension made it clear that he didn’t think of her as a maid in his employ, but more as a rare and expensive pet. She loathed him with all her being.

“Come here, Nao-chan. Let me get a closer look at that pretty face.” The girl detective somehow kept an even expression as she crossed the few steps between them, feeling him pull her down and kiss her. She could barely resist slapping him across the face, as was the case every time he kissed her – she was of the unshakable conviction that only the man she loved should be allowed to do that. Thankfully, she was spared any further ‘admiration’ by the butler entering the room.

“Kagetsune-sama, you’ve been contacted by one Narukami-san. He wishes to speak of Shirogane-san.” Junbei, the Ashiya family’s old butler, held out a phone to his young master, who reluctantly released Naoto and accepted it.

Kagetsune’s voice dripped with conceit as he answered, “Kagetsune Ashiya here. This is Narukami-san?” The voice on the other end of the line was too indistinct for Naoto to make out, but her master’s expression slowly changed to one of interest. “A game, hmm? So you’ve heard of my predilection for such activities. It’s so rare for anyone to challenge me anymore, so I will gladly accept. When is a good time?” More indistinct voices from the other end. “That is more than agreeable. Since you’re familiar with the place, we’ll meet and play at the Red Lily as you suggest. Looking forward to it, my friend.”

Naoto saw the familiar glint of excitement in Kagetsune’s eyes as he turned to her. “You’re very popular, pretty girl. This Narukami wants to take you for himself – not that I can blame him. I’m assuming the two of you know each other?”

“Yu is my boyfriend, Ashiya.” She let the veneer of obedience drop from her voice, replaced by the vitriol she constantly suppressed. “I loved him long before we came to be here, and I will love only him.”

A frown marred the dilettante’s features for a moment before being replaced with an infuriatingly cocky smirk. “Guess two months hasn’t been enough for you to love me, huh? You’ll come around; as far as women are concerned, even the most bitter tend to fall for me eventually. Trust me, you’ll be very happy at my side, Nao-chan.”

~~

A week later, Naoto stepped into the Red Lily alongside Kagetsune. While she had been spared the maid outfit, he’d insisted that her collar stay on, which drew many interested looks from the club’s patrons. Thankfully he had only been joking about leashing her too.

The bouncer allowed them access to the back room, where Yu and Setsuna waited – the former with an impassive expression that darkened slightly as seeing the accessory Naoto had been forced into, the latter with a smile playing around her lips.

“So you’re Ashiya-san.” Yu remarked coldly as the older man sat across the table from him. “Any particular reason you have my girlfriend wearing a collar, you pervert?”

Kagetsune merely laughed, “You’re a blunt one, aren’t you? I felt it accentuated her pretty slim neck quite well, myself. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you. And a pleasure to see you again, Setsu-chan.”

“Don’t call me that.” Setsuna hissed, placing a set of mahjong tiles on the table. “Just get your game over with and get the hell out of my establishment. You’re only here because Narukami-san insisted on neutral ground.”

The material of the tiles caught the gambler’s eye, prompting him to quirk an eyebrow interestedly. “Bone tiles? Going for symbolism, I see. Well, I certainly have no intent of having the flesh stripped from my bones, either metaphorically or by Setsu-chan’s sharp glares. Let us begin, Narukami-san.” He took the tiles, shuffling and dealing them with practiced and refined motions.

Yu watched carefully, tracking the movement of Kagetsune’s hands. There was no question that he was using the same types of motions that Setsuna had showed him – which meant that there was going to be a startling revelation incoming. When the game began in earnest, Kagetsune seemed unable to sit still, always toying with his tiles, his sleeves or a gold chain he wore. All hypnotic movements, and all completely useless.

“You’re bold, to challenge me.” The fiery-haired man commented. “I never lose, you know. So, what’s your stake? I’m wagering my lovely Nao-chan on this, so I expect you to do more than penny-ante.”

Eyes unfocused, Yu gestured to an ornate katana sitting on the table. Naoto recognized it – the Totsuka Blade, his favored weapon. And then it hit her that this was the exact same thing Kagetsune had done to her. Before the detective could say anything, though, Setsuna shook her head almost imperceptibly, cautioning her to stay quiet.

Kagestune continued to banter, not seeming to care that Yu wasn’t responding. “This is marvelous fun, you know. I always enjoy a wager, and with stakes such as these my blood is pumping even more than usual. But enough about that; I heard you and Nao-chan are close. Surely, though, the time you’ve been apart is enough to realize it was never going to work? She’s a lovely girl and needs to be taken care of – something you cannot do, but I can.”

“Ashiya-san… Shut the hell up.” Yu’s gray eyes met Kagetsune’s green ones, completely focused and sharp as knives. Everyone was rewarded with the sight of the Ashiya family head’s composure shattering once he saw his victim had been feigning the effects of his hypnotism.

“What… How can you…?” Kagetsune’s voice came out haltingly, his smug confidence having evaporated. “All this time you just played along…!”

The silver-haired youth glared even more intensely, stating in a hard voice, “I’ve made a lifestyle out of seeking the truth, Ashiya-san. Your parlor tricks aren’t going to fool me. Now if you’re done cheating, let’s have an honest game.”

With his manipulative methods nullified and his confidence utterly shattered, Kagetsune found himself unable to match Yu’s unreadable stone face. Shaking his head, he placed his tiles down and muttered in defeat, “I concede. In a contest of chance, I can’t win – I’ve always been cursed for my luck to fail. My hypnotism has been my only recourse for gambling, and against someone immune to the technique I lack any hope. Nao-chan is yours, and I will acknowledge that you have bested and humiliated me. Karma, I suppose.” He got up, turned to Naoto and unfastened the collar from her neck, striding out without a word.

“Serves him right.” Setsuna smirked as she watched her old enemy retreat. “And the happy couple is together again. Oh, and Reiko was found in the meantime; you’ll still get your fee, Shirogane-san, plus a bonus for dealing with that slimeball.”

Naoto was too busy getting reacquainted with Yu’s embrace as she murmured, “Finally, I can be close to you again. Two months of servitude to Ashiya…”

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Yu asked, stroking Naoto’s hair comfortingly.

“No, not at all. But I need a vacation, and you’re going to be right beside me. I’m thoroughly sick of that self-absorbed brat’s kiss lingering in my mouth, and I will need plenty of assistance in expunging it.”

Yu chuckled softly and held Naoto just a little closer. “Oh, don’t you worry about that.”

The couple left shortly after, giving their thanks to Setsuna as they went. There was a lot that needed to be done between the two of them.


End file.
